At 26-27, the LA Clippers are positioned to play in the league’s second annual play-in tournament. Despite being one game under .500, they are reportedly set to be extremely active during the trade deadline, both looking for upgrades and selling off unwanted veterans.
The Clippers are set to shop Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Morris, and Serge Ibaka in the next 10 days. It makes sense to move on from these aging veterans, as the Clippers look to move into a new phase of their franchise supported by Terrance Mann, Luke Kennard, and Brandon Boston Jr.
Ty Lue’s squad is undoubtedly in an interesting spot, as they’ve managed to stay afloat without both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard for the majority of the year. Although the team has fought to a .500 record without them, if the Clippers want any chance of competing for a championship this season, they’ll need both Leonard and George to return before playoff time.
Both have a chance to do so, but their injury status is so up in the air that it’s difficult to count on.
With that being said, in the immediate future, the Clippers are in the market for a point guard, as the Bledsoe acquisition has been a general disappointment for LA. He’s averaged only 9.9 points per game while shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc.
Therefore, the Clippers could look to add a dynamic playmaker and shot creator to add to their overall defensive identity, hopefully making a playoff push if they become fully healthy by the end of the season.
Let’s look at three candidates to fill that role.